D'Amato has Almendares in search of another Kilroe Mile win

A sharp two-length win by Du Jour last March prevented trainer Phil D’Amato from recording a third consecutive win in the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf at Santa Anita.

Du Jour has since been retired to a career as a riding horse in Kentucky, but D’Amato’s stable is back in this year’s $300,000 Kilroe Mile on March 1 with the erratic Almendares.

A win will not be easy. Almendares will face a tough field of rivals in the richest grass race of the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting. Other candidates included the recent graded stakes winners El Potente, Formidable Man, and Mi Hermano Ramon.

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Almendares, a 5-year-old British-bred gelding, has not raced since he finished ninth of 12 in the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap behind Mi Hermano Ramon at Del Mar in November. Earlier in 2024, Almendares was second by a head in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile in August, and second by 1 1/4 lengths to Johannes in the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita in September.

“He can win that kind of race or leave you scratching your head,” D’Amato said of Almendares’s chances in the Kilroe Mile. “He did that to me a few times last year.”

Almendares, who will be ridden by Antonio Fresu, has worked quickly several times in the last month on the infield synthetic training track at Santa Anita in preparation of the Kilroe Mile.

“We freshened him up and he’s training fantastic,” D’Amato said.

D’Amato’s stable typically has a deep team of turf milers, but will run only Almendares in the Kilroe. Conclude, winner of the 2024 Del Mar Mile, is booked to return from a winter vacation in March, D’Amato said. D’Amato won the 2022 Kilroe Mile with Count Again, and the 2023 running with Gold Phoenix.

This year’s Kilroe Mile is one of four graded stakes on what should be an outstanding March 1 program. The day includes the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap at 1 1/4 miles on dirt and the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on dirt. The San Felipe Stakes is a prep race for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 5.

D’Amato said he plans to nominate the California-bred stakes winner Shea Brennan to the $300,000 San Felipe Stakes, but said the colt is more likely to start in the $100,000 Pasadena Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile on turf on March 9.

D’Amato does not have a runner for the Big Cap, but spoke highly on Friday of Uncorked’s chances on the same day in the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes for fillies and mares at one mile on turf. The winner of the Grade 3 Royal Heroine Stakes at one mile on turf last April, Uncorked has not raced since a second-place finish in the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes at one mile on turf for fillies and mares at Del Mar last November.

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